How to Groom a Clydesdale's Legs | Animals - mom.me How to Groom a Clydesdale's Legs The white feathers on a Clydesdale's legs will not stay white without regular grooming. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images The long white feathers on a Clydesdale's legs are one of the most easily recognizable features of this specific draft breed. Keeping the feathers clean and attractive can pose a bit of a grooming challenge, especially since they can be prone to skin conditions. Maintaining your Clydesdale's legs is an essential part of caring for him properly. Brushing The Feathers The feathering on your Clydesdale's legs can pick up all kinds of debris when your horse is being ridden or even just playing in the pasture. Dirt, sand, mud, rocks, thorns, briars and just about anything else that can get tangled in hair will get tangled in his hair. All of this stuff can quickly become uncomfortable for your horse, especially if any of it gets right next to his skin or traps moisture. Brushing out your Clydesdale's legs every day with a grooming brush will significantly reduce the tangling problem and help keep skin problems from developing.

Make sure you can run your fingers through the feathers and nothing is stuck in the hairs. Washing The Feathers Even if your horse's legs are not covered in mud, white hair tends to turn yellowish brown fairly quickly when a horse is out in the pasture. Wash your Clydesdale's legs with a gentle whitening shampoo to keep the feathers clean and minimize staining. Brush the legs so that they are relatively clean and free of debris before you wash them. Be careful not to wash the legs too often because too much washing can dry out the skin and damage the feathers. Environmental Maintenance You can make grooming your Clydesdale's legs easier by paying attention to the condition of your pastures and stalls. A Clydesdale in a muddy, wet pasture is a recipe for a real mess. Try to keep your horse turned out in clean, dry areas where there is minimal debris that will get tangled in the feathers. Keep his stall clean and make sure the shavings are in good, dry condition. Skin Conditions Clydesdales are prone to skin conditions such as chronic progressive lymphedema.

Horses with CPL are at higher risk of infection and may have swollen legs, sores and lesions on their skin as well as thick skin folds and swollen nodules. Failing to maintain your Clydesdale's legs may prevent you from noticing the early symptoms of skin conditions or make them more difficult for your veterinarian to treat. If you are unwilling or unable to maintain your horse's feathers properly on a daily basis, then you may want to have the horse professionally clipped or shaved to remove the feathers. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images See More Animals A description of the most popular draft horse breeds | Ride Magazine By: Melissa Cox December 11, 2008 Draft horses are among the most robust and obedient of all horse breeds. Some can weigh up to a ton or more, while others may weigh little more than 800 pounds. Bred for their power, stamina, and calm temperament, draft horses were mainly used for farm work and driving until mechanized farm equipment and passenger vehicles came along. Some breeds are still used for traditional work, but others are entering the show ring in dressage, pulling, and jumping competitions. Here are some of the most popular draft horse breeds. American Cream These draft horses are natives of the United States.

They weigh between 1,600 and 2,000 pounds and are typically 16 hands high. Their coloring is similar to the Palomino, with cream-colored bodies and white manes and tails. What sets this draft horse breed apart from the rest is its pink skin, brown hooves, and light blue eyes that usually change to amber as the horse matures. Belgian These natives of Belgium are the most common breed found in the United States. They range from 17.3 to 18.2 hands high and have an average weight of 2,100 pounds. Bay, chestnut, sorrel, and roan are the most common colors. While the populations of other draft horses have dwindled, the numbers of Belgians have increased. They are still used as workhorses, but can also make good trail riding horses and show horses. Clydesdale These draft horses are natives of Scotland and get their name from the River Clyde. They range from 16.2 to 18 hands high and weigh between 1,600 and 1,800 pounds.

The most common color is bay, and they often have white socks and white blazes on their faces. They have long, flowing hair called “feathers” around the bottoms of their legs. A team of Clydesdales pulls the Anheuser-Busch wagon. Friesian Natives of Friesland, a province of The Netherlands, these horses were used to carry heavily-armored knights into battle during the Middle Ages. The breed nearly went extinct when passenger vehicles and mechanized farm equipment became popular, but today the number of Friesian horses is ever-growing due to their versatility. Friesians range from 15 to 17 hands high, weigh between 1,200 and 1,400 pounds, have long, thick, and wavy manes and tails, have feathers on their lower legs, and are always solid black in color. Gypsy The Gypsies, or Romany people, bred horses that were extremely hardworking but also very docile. The Romany people are from the British Isles, and while most of them have become more contemporary in their lifestyles, a few families still practice the traditional Gypsy aspects like breeding horses and traveling by wagon.

Their horses range from 13 to 15.2 hands high. Gypsy horses come in any color including skewbald and piebald, although pinto is the most common. They also have thick feathers on their lower legs. Haflinger These quiet and sturdy horses stand between 13 and 15 hands high and weigh between 800 and 1,300 pounds. They are always chestnut in color and have a white or flaxen mane. The first Haflinger, 249 Folie, came from a cross between a half-Arabian stallion and a native mare from the Tyrolean Mountains of today’s Italy in 1874. These horses were used during World War II as packhorses due to their willingness to work and their surefootedness. Irish Draught These horses are the national horse breed of Ireland and were traditionally bred for farm work. These exceptionally intelligent horses stand between 15.2 and 16.3 hands high and can be any strong, solid color including gray. Today these horses make fine hunters and jumpers, especially when crossbred with Thoroughbreds, which result in the Irish Sport Horse.

Norwegian Fjord These horses are the smallest of the draft horses ranging from 13.1 to 14.2 hands high and weighing between 900 and 1,200 pounds. They are one of the world’s oldest, pure-bred horse, and are known for being quick learners and especially friendly. Vikings in western Norway selectively bred these horses for over 2,000 years. Fjords have dun coloration in many different shades including cream, silver, red, and gray. Their manes are unique because they are two-toned: white with a black stripe running down the center. Percheron These natives of the Le Perche region of France can be 16.2 to 17.3 hands high and have an average weight of 2,000 pounds. Typical colors are black and gray. They can easily adapt to any environment and are known for being proud, alert, powerful, and graceful. Shire These natives of “The Shires” of England are the tallest of the draft horse breeds. They average 17.2 hands in height and their weight typically ranges between 1,800 and 2,100 pounds.

Colors are black, brown, bay, or gray—with black being the most common color found in our country. Like Clydesdales, they usually have a white blaze on their faces and long, flowing feathers around their lower legs. Suffolk Punch These draft horses are natives of the Suffolk and Norfolk counties in England. They are shorter draft horses, with their average height being 16.1 hands. They are chestnut in color with few white markings. This breed of horse is rarely used in shows, but it is used in pulling competitions in both England and the United States. All About Feather All About Feather How to evaluate feather in the Gypsy Horse Original article by Christine Bartko Feather Many people seem to be very confused about what is considered "feathered", and what is considered "well feathered". We've seen many ads for these horses on the web that describe the horse as "heavily feathered", or that it has "tons of feather" and other similar claims. Yet, when we look at the horse, we can only sigh.

Yes, it may be a good deal of feather compared to a light horse, or a Belgian draft, or even a Friesian, but that is NOT acceptable feathering for a gypsy horse. Below are some examples and comments on what is, and what is not, good feathering for a gypsy horse. For this discussion on feather, we will leave out all of the other things that make a horse into a good horse, and focus on the feathering, a very important part of the gypsy horse breed. For the horses used as examples, we will assume that they all are equal in conformation and training, for the purposes of this article. This way we can "get to the heart" of this weighty issue in our chosen breed of horse. We realize that very few people have gotten to spend the time that we have with the true gypsy people who created this breed, so we wanted to share a bit of what we have learned over the years in relation to this matter. In basic terms, "feathered" means that a horse has ground-length hair completely around the hoof.

If the hair in the front of the hoof doesn't naturally grow longer than about an inch or two, then you DO NOT have a feathered horse. These points are very important, as just being technically "feathered" doesn't make your gypsy horse acceptable by gypsy standards. If a horse has a light amount of hair all the way around the hoof, but it's not THICK and FULL, then, by gypsy standards, this is not a high quality gypsy horse (of course this excludes horses that have been shaved, or "bog burned"). Feather on a Friesian horse. To Shire, Clydesdale, or Gypsy Horse breeders, this is NOT a "feathered" horse. To gypsies, the people who created our beloved breed of horse, there is no such thing as too much feather. A moderately feathered stallion is never acceptable, as a stallion has to have as much feather as possible. If a gypsy breeder is breeding a stallion that doesn't have an incredible amount of feather, he is a poor breeder, who may not have the money for good stock.

"Each hair is a sovereign" is a term used by many of the old traditional breeders. This would translate to "each hair is a dollar" to us Americans. This is basically the "bible" of gypsy horse breeding, as the cheap horses don't have too much hair, and the expensive ones are the well bred, quality horses, that also have tons of feather. These horses can trade among gypsies for serious money. If you have two conformationally identical fillies, and one has twice as much hair as the other one - that "heavier" filly could be worth at least double what the other one is. Double isn't actually an accurate description of the worth though, as most of the well-known gypsy breeders won't buy a light legged and feathered filly, no matter what her breeding and history, and no matter how cheap she is. Most of these top breeders would spend several month's income for the "heaviest" nice filly though! These top breeders wouldn't take a light-legged, lightly feathered filly of unknown heritage if you gave her to them, hence that filly is "worthless".

I cannot count how many times I have heard the term "worthless", and "rubbish" when the big gypsy breeders are out buying stock for themselves. These "worthless" horses are what most of the breeders call "trade horses". These are the horses that are frequently sold at auctions and sent to unknown futures. These are usually lightly boned, lightly feathered horses of non-descript breeding. Unfortunately, most of the European horse people very wrongly assume that ALL gypsy bred horses are these "trade horses". Back to the basics of feather... Feather is a recessive, and it is accumulative. If you breed a feathered horse to any non-feathered horse, you DO NOT get a feathered horse. If a gypsy horse doesn't have too much feather on it, the reason for this is likely that it has a non-feathered horse in its pedigree - not too far back! If the horse has barely any feather on the front of the hoof, but a decent bit off the back of the fetlock, this horse has light-horse bred into it, most likely as one of its parents!

There are actually many of these horses that have been imported into the USA that are direct, first generation crosses, but have been sold as "pure gypsy horses". This is not a good situation, to say the least! I will state again, if a "gypsy horse" doesn't have full feathering around the front of its hoof, that reaches the ground, it is recent-generation cross-bred horse (and very likely a first generation cross)! DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY on these horses. You can get a horse like this in the USA for MUCH cheaper, by simply crossing a smaller Shire or Clydesdale with a paint horse. Don't fall victim to this scam! If you want a truly feathered gypsy horse, you may have to import, or buy offspring from good imported stock. Many people make the terribly wrong assumption that if a horse is pinto colored, and from England, that it's a gypsy horse. Don't make this mistake! This is just like saying that any horse with a pinto color here in the USA is a paint horse. This couldn't be further from the truth, especially when you take into account those miniature horses and Shetlands that are snazzy pinto marked!

Don't fall into this common gypsy horse trap! Back to basics... Mares are feathered too in this breed! Many people will try to tell you that a mare doesn't have to have much feathering to be a gypsy horse. Don't buy this! Of course, there are "degrees of feathering" which we will show examples of below. Unless the mare has feather all the way around the hoof to the ground, she is just another "worthless" horse. Below I will show you what a true gypsy breeder would consider acceptable, and what that breeder would not. Not all mares can be "the heaviest mare" around, but there are limits as to what amount is acceptable to proper breeders. There is never a reason to breed a gypsy horse mare that has what a gypsy horse breeder would consider to be an unacceptable amount of feather. Doing this won't give you a nicely feathered horse, it will only give you a horse with slightly more feather than the mare, no matter how heavy (in feather) the stallion is. We don't need to do this here in the states.

The gypsies have already gone through the trouble of breeding this type of horse into a perfect little feathered horse, so we don't have to reinvent the wheel. This doesn't address the issue of tainting the breed with inferior, cross bred horses, but of course, that is an issue to be considered as well. Bigger horses. Many of the larger (over 16 hands) gypsy type horses (and drum horses) have a good amount of Shire or Clydesdale blood in them. These don't get as heavily feathered as the traditional gypsy horses, but should have AT LEAST as much feather as a Shire or Clydesdale. This means full hair growing around the FRONT of the hoof all the way around. Any less means that you don't have a feathered horse. If you have a 14 or 15 hand horse with that lesser amount of feather, you have a "trade horse", one that most true gypsy *breeders* wouldn't take a second look at (but the *dealers* would love to sell that to an American, guaranteed!).

Rule to live by in gypsy horses: Hair isn't everything, but, you can't have everything unless you have the HAIR! EXAMPLES Stallions: Stallions need to have feather in order to be considered worth breeding in the gypsy community. Not just feather, but TONS of feather. Figure 1.) This is the feather of one of the top stallions (7 years old) in England. This guy has thicker feather than some of the silky-feathered stallions. The heaviest-feathered stallions are usually this type of feather. The feather MUST start on the front of the cannon bone at the knee for a colt to even be considered for growing up for stallion potential. Figure 2.) Feather of a 6 year old stallion. Not coarse, not silky, somewhere in between. Figure 3.) Feather of a 5 year old well bred gypsy stallion. Although it's not clean or brushed out, this is the straight, silky feather that is so in demand among gypsy breeders. This is about as much hair as you will see on a straight-feathered stallion.

If the hair is in good shape (not burned out or anything), and you can see hoof, you don't have a good stallion. NOT ALL horses will grow feather like this. Figure 4.) Feather of a 3 year old stallion. In stallions, this is about the least amount of feather that would be acceptable to even the poorest of gypsy breeders. This is mid-grade feather, not straight, but not curly either. By 3 years old a stallion has pretty much all the feather he will ever have (unless it's burned out or shaved or something). Anyone who tells you different that this is trying to sell you an inferior horse! Figure 5.) Feather of an 8 year old stallion. This is an unacceptable amount of feather in a stallion over 6 months old. No proper gypsy breeder would even consider this horse for breeding under any circumstance. This horse is a cross between a feathered gypsy horse and a non-feathered horse, but was sold as a full gypsy stallion. This is a good example of a "half-legger". Compare this full grown stallion to the 2 year old colt below (figure 8), you will definitely see the difference!

I was lucky enough to see these two horses together at one time, and I had doubts as to whether they were even of the same breed. COLTS: Figure 6.) Feather of a 2 year old colt. Any 2 year old that only has this much feather will be gelded and sold on, never to be bred. This is the amount I would expect to see on a weanling colt. On a yearling colt it would be marginal, but on a 2 year old, it's unacceptable. Figure 7.) This 5 MONTH old colt has as much hair in front (this is where the difference is at this age, the front of the hoof) as the 2 year old colt above. Don't make the mistake of looking at the back of the leg to determine how much feather a horse has! Some Belgians and Friesians have hair in the back that goes down to the ground, but still none in the front. Remember, that's not a feathered horse. Figure 8.) Feather of a 2 year old colt with excellent feathering, a prized colt from one of the best known gypsy breeders.

You can see there is a Profound difference between the 2 year old colts in figures 6 and 8! Figure 9.) A yearling colt with lots of great, straight, silky feather. Grade = excellent, you will have a hard time finding more in a yearling. Figure 10.) A yearling colt with a nice amount of feather. Grade = good, has good potential. Figure 11.) A yearling colt with an average amount of feather. Grade = acceptable. The length is almost at the ground already in front, but it is not as full as some of the other colts. Any less on a yearling is not acceptable in a potential breeding stallion. This yearling still has a good amount more than the 2 year old in figure 6! "Flow Chart" Top class: A young colt like the five month old in the figure 7 becomes a yearling like figure 9, which becomes a two year old like figure 8, which becomes a stallion like figure 3. Middle class: A colt like the yearling in figure 10 becomes a stallion like the three year old in figure 4.

These are the types that the poorer, but still proud gypsy breeders will breed. Not bad, but not the best. Not even in the same class: In contrast: A two year old like figure 6 will turn into a stallion like figure 5. Don't let unscrupulous sellers try to tell you that they will eventually get tons of feather like the horses you see in the calendar pictures. If they don't start out with feather, they will never have it. Mares: The heaviest mare won't have as much feather as the heaviest stallion, but a good mare will have more feather than an average stallion. The heaviest (this means feather) horses around will be stallions, but the top mares anywhere will be close in feather amount. Those mares are few and far between, but that shouldn't be an excuse to take an unacceptably feathered mare and try to breed something good with her. It just won't work, which has been proven over generations by our gypsy breeders. We don't need to reinvent the wheel with these horses, all the hard work has been done for us by the gypsies.

Put your money into buying what they consider to be a good horse, and you will never be disappointed, either personally or financially. Mares are every bit as important as stallions (some say more important) in breeding, so don't make the common mistake of getting a decent stallion and trying to fix inferior mares with him. That trick never works. Foals: It's easiest to get a good idea of hair in a foal by waiting until he is close to a year old. Another good way to get some sort of idea is by looking at the parents. This does not mean that the two heaviest parents will always produce the heaviest foal, but I can guarantee that two unacceptably feathered parents will NEVER produce an acceptably feathered foal. If you breed a mare like this (figure - Mare 1) or this (figure - Mare 2) to a stallion like the one in figure 5, you will get a foal like the two year old pictured in figure 6, who will never have more hair than his parents.

If you breed a mare like Mares 1-2, to a great stallion, you will get somewhat more hair, but still not as much hair as you, and the market, want. Remember, hair is accumulative and recessive. If you want lots of feather, you have to breed from lots of feather ON BOTH SIDES. Even this does not always give you incredibly heavily feathered foals, but it's the only way to even have a chance. Breed the most feather you can afford to the most feather you can afford, and you have a pretty good chance of producing what the educated buyer wants. Figure - Mare 3 - Feather of a three year old, larger mare. This is about the least amount of feather that is at all acceptable in a mare (and only if she is the larger sized, shire-ish type of mare). It still covers the front of her hooves, so it is "feather" by definition, but it's not good feather. Put to a greatly feathered stallion, she has a good chance of producing an acceptably feathered foal. A mare with this amount of feather shouldn't be too expensive to buy.

She still has much more than the mares in figures 1 and 2 (and those mares are both mares who have been imported into the US as pure gypsy horse mares!!). Figure - Mare 4 - Three year old mare - unacceptable. It doesn't matter what kind of bloodlines a mare like this is *supposed* to have - one like this is considered "worthless" to any true gypsy breeder, even the poor ones. We have NEVER found a mare like this one in a broodmare field of a true gypsy breeder, but we have found hundreds of horses like her in the horse dealers fields. Figure - Mare 5 - By contrast, another 3 year old mare. This gal has the right kind of silky feather starting up at the knee in front like it should. It would be fuller and silkier if it were clean, but you can get the general idea. BIG difference in the two mares! Unfortunately for the buyer of the above mare, the prices on the two mares were similar! Beware of unscrupulous sellers that will tell you that hair like in figure 'Mare 4' is acceptable! Figure - Mare 6 - Four old mare.

Grade - Very good. Nice and silky, and plenty of it coming from the knee IN FRONT, just as it should. This is a very high-class mare in the hair department. Figure - Mare 7 - Top of the line six year old mare. Grade - Excellent, as good as it gets in a mare. This is the kind of mare you need to produce foals like in figure 9. This is the kind of mare that has more hair than most stallions. If she were a stallion, she would be like the stallion in figure 1. Figure - Mare 8 - Two year old filly. This filly will turn into a mare like figures 6 or even 7. She has wonderful feather for a two year old. Yearling filly feather Unacceptable feather in a yearling filly. By this age, it should be well down the hoof in the front. This gal will never have hair worth anything. She is "worthless" in the eyes of gypsy breeders. Nice feather Exceptional feather, REALLY hard to find in a yearling filly!

"Bog Burn", AKA "Burned Feather" - No discussion on feather is complete without mentioning the problem of "Bog Burn" in feathered horses. This is a problem caused by a feathered horse being kept on wet land for extended periods of time. It's a bigger problem in the winter months, because ice can play a part in it, although ice is not required to bog burn a horse. Since the winter of England and Ireland consists mostly of mud and more mud, this is something that you see often in gypsy horses. Gypsies keep their horses outdoors, on fields, almost exclusively. They try hard to get "good land" in the winter time so as not to "ruin" their horses, but that is not always easy to do, unfortunately. Sometimes they are forced to use land that they know will "ruin" the feather on their horses in order to keep the horses well fed. "Ruin" isn't really the proper term, as when the hair is pulled out it grows back of course, but if you have a great mare or stallion in perfect condition feather-wise, it is a huge disappointment to have all that perfect feather pulled out, and have to wait months before it looks the same again.

It isn't too tough to tell the difference between a bog-burned horse and a horse that is just poorly feathered, but it does take some experience at looking at different types of feathered feet. Photos below: The first picture is a 9 year old mare of great breeding, but that was kept on bad land through the winter and spring earlier this year. The picture on the left was taken in July, after about a month of the hair growing back. The picture on the right was taken 10 weeks later. The hair isn't completely back, but it's almost there! This mare will have hair in front that drags the ground, like a good mare should have! To the untrained eye, the picture on the left could look like a mare with not-good feather. The short in the front and long in the back is a classic symptom of bog burn, but that is also a trait of not-so-great feathered horses. It takes a bit of practice looking to notice the subtle differences between a burned, well feathered horse, and a half-legged horse that doesn't naturally have much feather.

Many unscrupulous dealers will tell interested buyers that a horse is just burned when it's actually a non-feathered horse, so be careful, and know that you can trust the person doing the telling. What Is an Irish Cob? - AMBLESIDE IRISH COBS AMBLESIDE IRISH COBS Many people think of Irish Cobs as just strong docile animals pulling heavy Gypsy wagons. Yes, they were bred over hundreds of years to do just that, but they are also much much more. Photo Courtesy of North Star Gypsy - USA Although it has only recently been accepted as an official breed, the Irish cob, along with the Irish Draught horse and Connemara pony, is one of Ireland’s oldest recognized breeds. Worldwide they are known by many names such as Gypsy Cob, Gypsy Horse, Gypsy Vanner, Irish Tinker – Gypsy Cob being the most popular name in Australia. The Gypsies (or Traveler’s as they prefer to be called) have always been known and respected for their relationship with horses. They bred them very selectively but did not keep written records, the lineage’s being passed on verbally from generation to generation.

The quality and linage of his horses usually determine the wealth and status of the traveler, whose very existence depended on these animals that became a part of their family, living tethered next to the wagons they pulled For hundreds of years these sturdy, hardworking horses pulled the wagons and flat carts of the travelling people throughout Ireland, Britain and Europe. The breed was created to fulfill the traveler’s need for a useable horse, gentle enough to be handled by children but sturdy enough to pull a wagon all day. If any horses showed temperament problems or had bad manners, they were immediately removed from the breeding program. Bad temperaments were simply not tolerated, consequently the horses have long been prized for their intelligent, willing temperament their athletic ability and extraordinary good looks. It is thought that local draft and pony breeds, namely the Shire and Clydesdale, Dales and Fell ponies and the Galloway were first used to create the Irish Cob. This resulted in various sizes of horse which became types within the breed but it was, and is, one breed with the characteristics breeding true throughout the generations.

A purebred Traditional Irish Cob exhibits specific traits; they are ample in both muscle and bone making them compact and powerful, but still possessing a wide range of ability in various disciplines. Their appearance is rather imposing as the stout, powerful body is carried with great pride and agility and they are noted for their high knee action, incredible, almost intuitive, temperament and lots of flowing hair, indeed if grown and maintained properly their manes and forelocks are exceedingly long and their tails can drag on the ground. There is often long hair under the jaw giving them a look of ancient wisdom, but more important is the amount of ‘feather’ which is the hair that grows down the leg and all the way around the hoof. If this is not THICK and FULL then, by Gypsy standards, this is not a high quality horse. “Hair isn't everything, but, you can't have everything unless you have the HAIR” Ireland and England have long been famed for their quality horses and the Irish Cob is another example of such fine breeding. Many of the mares and stallions that are now recognized by the travelers as the great producers, were of Irish origin.

Horses like The Old Roadsweeper, The Lob, The Banks Mare, The Henry Horse and The Checkity Stallion (so named because his owner refused a blank Cheque offered for him) were bred and foaled on Irish Soil (photos courtesy of Jacob Lassen) The Irish cob makes a perfect starter horse, especially for people who want a horse that isn’t physically challenging, is a good weight bearer and hardy in whatever size. Their extreme versatility, kindness and outstanding mental outlook make them ideal for children, pony clubs and adults alike for riding or driving either competitively or at leisure. As a ridden horse, their wide short backs and sturdy conformation combined with the high knee action make them comfortable under saddle. They excel in the dressage arena with their instinctively high and flamboyant movements, while their natural endurance and athleticism make them equally at home out hunting or going across country and they are not put off by jumping logs, fences or ditches. (photos courtesy of Theresa Fryer) It’s hard to believe that these stout, smaller horses can move so well but they are incredibly agile and combined with such a willing attitude and trainable nature, they make a formidable partner who will form a lasting relationship of trust and companionship.

They are flashy, intelligent and personable but most importantly docile and forgiving, so if you are looking for a horse that is incredibly versatile and will be a faithful companion to you and your family, the Irish Cob may just be the perfect horse for you! above - A young mare, Parnell's Aibreann, who has recently started jumping. Above -Parnells "blue" stallion, Parnell's Leannan (by Clononeen Dunbrody) in jump training (Photo credit to Parnells Irish Gypsy Cobs) Below - Back from a ride and in training -(Photos Courtesy of North Star Gypsy - USA) References – Parnell’s Irish Gypsy Cobs – LLC Irish Cob - Horse Breeds, HORSE BREEDS Irish Cob - Horse Breed & Info Irish Cob Article and Photos Copyrighted - see credits below Although its recognition as an official breed is rather recent, the Irish Cob is one of the oldest recognized breeds in Ireland, along with two other Irish breeds.

ORIGINS The Irish Cob was established over many generations in Ireland by the Travellers (gypsies), and world wide has been called by many names like the Gypsy Cob, or Gypsy Vanner, although this is not what the Gypsies called their horses. Travellers in Ireland, Wales, England and Scotland, who bred their horses very selectively for a hundred years or more, did not keep written records, but have passed lineages on to proceeding generations verbally. Now the Irish Cob Society maintains the stud book. The Irish Cob was created by the Travellers to fulfill their needs in a useable horse and these horses have long been prized by their intelligent, willing temperament, their athletic ability and their capabilities of endurance are the stuff of legend Although shrouded in time, it is thought that local draft and pony breeds were first used to create the Irish Cob -- the Shire and Clydesdale, the Dales and Fell ponies and the Galloway. Sizes varied and became types within the breed, but it was and is one breed with characteristics breeding true throughout the generations. The modern day registry still divides the horses according to height (ponies, small horses to horses).

The Irish Cob Society in Ireland is the only organization approved to name a horse an Irish Cob. Ireland and England have been famous for their quality horse and ponies for centuries and the Irish Cob is but another example of such fine breeding. Many of the great breeding horses, were of Irish origin, like The Cob -- The Banks Mare, The Henry Horse, the Checkity Stallion and old Roadsweeper, were foaled on Irish soil. CHARACTERISTICS A purebred traditional Irish Cob exhibits specific traits. The breed is ample both in muscle and bone, being both compact and powerful, but possesses a wide range of ability in various disciplines. Their appearance is rather imposing as the stout, powerful body is carried with great pride and agility and there are noted for their high action, incredible almost intuitive temperament and lots of long flowing hair. If maintained properly their tails drag the ground and their manes and forelocks are also exceedingly long. They also carry a grand feathering , also to the ground, all around the leg. It is also often the case that there is long hair under the jaw, giving the face a look of ancient wisdom.

In earlier times the extensive feathering was not as popular as it is today, since in a horse working in certain terrain this was not a characteristic particularly bred for. Today it is one of the crowing glories of the breed, although the lighter weight, smaller Irish Cob may not display as much feathering as the larger, heavier horse. The Irish Cob’s very bold, open eyes, set nicely apart, neat ears, and the always arched neck, with high knee action and all that hair flowing is a sight of beauty. Although there are many Irish Cobs with black and white coloring, all colors except albino are accepted. Colored cobs are the delight of many countries and breeders now and these horses are either piebald or skewbald. Of course color is not judged higher than quality. The breed also displays a friendly disposition toward other animals as well as humankind. From a neck that is compact but not too short, that is well set into the withers and the beginning of the back, the short back slopes upward to a high and generous croup. The hip bones and spine should not be apparent. The top line slopes downward again to the tail.

The shoulders are powerful and sloping All conformational parts of this breed are powerful and muscular, yet the action gives the overall look one of lightness. Often the Irish cob sticks its lower front legs to each side when trotting and if done uniformly and without exaggeration, this is acceptable. The general movement and knee action should be level in height with a good length of stride which is straight. The Irish Cob does display high front action. With an outstanding mental outlook the Irish Cob is ideal for children and pony clubs. It’s kindness and its extreme versatility give this breed great usability for either show or family, or both. A good bearer of weight, hardy in whatever size, the Irish Cob is a competitive horse (riding, driving or in hand) or a horse of leisure. Cocoa Lounge - African American Forum & Message Board - Budweiser Clysdale (horse) sold at auction to the Slaughter House! posted on 1.30.2016 at 02:29 PM Budweiser Clysdale (horse) sold at auction to the Slaughter House!

A horse who was once one of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales was sold at a slaughter auction - but unlike so many unfortunate horses who share the same fate, a kind rescuer stepped in to save his life. News of the Horse reported yesterday that Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue (CDHR) recently rescued a former Budweiser Clydesdale who had been placed for sale at the infamous New Holland auction. The horse, was dubbed "Duke" by his rescuers, was in very poor condition when he was found. According to Connecticut Draft Horse Rescue's Facebook page, Duke was "so thin and neglected...missing patches of body hair, raw sores on swollen legs - we knew he needed us..." Country 92.5 posted on Monday: "Duke was once admired by millions as one of the Budweiser Clydesdales, a true equine star at Busch Gardens, destined for great things.

It seemed his future was secure, with a contract and a microchip to keep him safe for life...however, things didn't turn out the way they were supposed to, and Duke was days from a horrible, unthinkable end." After news of Duke's rescue broke on social media, Duke's prior handler, Laurie Bouthiller-Gendron, recognized him. According to Bouthiller-Gendron, she handled Duke in 2006 at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg - and at that time, Duke was in excellent health, receiving loving care and the attention and adoration of thousands of fans. But a lot has happened between 2006 and now - much of which will never be known. CDHR contacted Budweiser's Clydesdale manager, who confirmed the horse's identity with his microchip and explained that Duke had been privately sold in 2009. Budweiser had been careful in choosing what they thought was a good home for Duke, and his sale had included a right of first refusal clause, meaning that the horse would have to be offered to Budweiser before the new owner sold the horse to someone else.

Instead, the new owner chose not to honor that contract, and it's not known where Duke went between 2009 and today. When the 18-year-old horse arrived at the New Holland auction, however, he looked nothing like he did during his Budweiser glory days: he had been abused and neglected; he was emaciated, injured, and dejected. After Duke was rescued, CDHR posted a youcaring page to help him. The page stated: "The costs to rehabilitate this horse are unknown at this point, but know that initial transport, quarantine, and medical evaluation will be at least another $1000. We hope you will support our mission to help Duke recover and eventually find his forever home. Welcome to CDHR, Duke - your troubles are over now." To make a donation towards Duke's care, visit this page. A horse who was being on the auction block - potentially for slaughter - only days earlier suddenly had even more support. After hearing of their former star's plight, Budweiser made a donation to CDHR in honor of Duke. CDHR has made it clear that no blame is to be placed on Budweiser, which tried to find a good retirement home for Duke.

The organization hopes that Budweiser, as the "world renowned face of the Clydesdale breed, along with the organization that promotes breeding and registers them, [will] consider partnering to create and promote a charitable fund for their breed..." Duke continues to recover from untold abuse and neglect, but this gentle giant is only looking forward. Only one week has passed since Duke was first rescued, but his red, open sores are scabbing up; his reddened skin has started to fade to pink, and he appears to be feeling more comfortable. Animal advocates hope that Duke's story can help other horses, as well. CDHR posted on its Facebook page today: "We hope to bring attention to the fact that there are horses who fall victim to neglect from all kinds of backgrounds - even horses like Duke who previously led the pampered life of an equine celebrity can fall into the wrong hands and end up at risk for shipping to slaughter.

We hope that the attention that this situation is receiving results in some positive changes Mood: One Happy Camper posted on 1.30.2016 at 03:26 PM I don't know if any of you have ever seen a Clydesdale, but it is the one of the most magnificent animals God created. I saw my first when I was about 8 years old at a Bud Billikin Parade in Chicago (the 2nd largest parade in the U.S. after well-publicized Macy's Thanksgiving day parade - but of course you didn't know that since the black run, operated, and with 99% black participation receives only local recognition & minimal publicity ). I watched the Budweiser Wagon pulled by the 4 gorgeously "feathered" (long flowing hair on their lower legs and forelocks) white-stocking, high-stepping bay horses, the tallest breed of horse in the world (6 feet at the shoulders!) and looking more imposing than any creature should.... with total awe. Even today, if one came down the street, I'd look at it with the SAME awe. They are that beautiful, imposing and powerfully muscled.

Budweiser has a farm where the horses are stabled. They used to leave it open to the public to roam about at will. They now have 'no trespassing' signs and the stables guarded. Why? Some years ago, the stable hands came in and found several of the magnificent animals dead in their stalls, their thick muscular throats cut in a wanton slaughter of beauty. I nearly cried thinking of those draught horses pulling that Bud wagon when I was a child. Now we have some cretin first abusing a Clydesdale and starving it to a shadow of itself, then auctioning him off to a slaughter house.... and I find myself nearly crying again. First, because he spit on beauty, but also because the Clydesdale, an animal bred for farmwork (hence its designation as a draught horse) in a world of mechanization, is only a couple horses shy of being vulnerable to extinction. Desperate attention-seeking ghouls who know not the meaning of the word 'honor' LOVE unmoderated MBs Choose your hypnotist well.....

Question: What is the flowing hair on the lower legs of a Clydesdale draught horse called
Answer: Feathers